Battery pack charging protocol selection system

Abstract

A charging system is provided for use with the battery pack of an electric vehicle, where both the charge level and the charging rate may be specified over a range of available levels and rates, respectively. A system controller coupled to the charging system determines the optimal charging level and the optimal charging rate, where optimization is based on maximizing battery lifetime while insuring that there is sufficient power for the vehicle to travel the user's intended distance and that the charging process will be completed prior to the user's intended departure time.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery pack charging system, comprising:
 a user interface, said user interface configured to accept a set of user determined travel information, wherein said set of user determined travel information is comprised of an intended departure time and an intended travel distance; 
 a battery pack mounted within an electric vehicle and coupled to an electric drive train of said electric vehicle; 
 a charging system coupled to said battery pack of said electric vehicle, said charging system configured to charge said battery pack to a specified charge level using a specified charging rate, wherein said specified charge level is selectable over a range of charge levels, and wherein said specified charging rate is selectable over a range of charging rates; 
 at least one sensor coupled to said vehicle, wherein said at least one sensor monitors a driving style, wherein data corresponding to said driving style is accumulated and stored in a memory; and 
 a system controller coupled to said charging system and to said user interface and to said at least one sensor and to said memory, said system controller configured to determine an optimal charge level for said battery pack based one a battery lifetime characteristic and said intended travel distance and said data corresponding to said driving style, said system controller configured to set said specified charge level of said charging system to said optimal charge level, said system controller configured to determine an optimal charging rate for said battery pack and set said specified charging rate of said charging system to said optimal charging rate, wherein said optimal charge level maximizes said battery lifetime characteristic of said battery pack while being sufficient to supply energy to said electric drive train for said vehicle to travel said intended travel distance, and wherein said optimal charging rate maximizes said battery lifetime characteristic of said battery pack while being sufficient to complete charging of said battery pack to said optimal charge level prior to said intended departure time. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , wherein said user interface is mounted within said electric vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , said user interface comprising a remote device coupled to said system controller via a communication port, wherein said communication port is mounted within said electric vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The battery pack charging system of  claim 3 , wherein said remote device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, and a computer system. 
     
     
       5. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , said user interface comprising a remote device coupled to said system controller via a wireless communication link. 
     
     
       6. The battery pack charging system of  claim 5 , wherein said remote device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a computer system, and a network-based computing system. 
     
     
       7. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , said system controller configured to add a first safety margin to said intended departure time to define a modified departure time and to add a second safety margin to said intended travel distance to define a modified travel distance, wherein said optimal charge level determined by said system controller is sufficient to supply energy to said electric drive train for said vehicle to travel said modified travel distance and said optimal charging rate determined by said system controller is sufficient to complete charging of said battery pack prior to said modified departure time. 
     
     
       8. The battery pack charging system of  claim 7 , said system controller configured to calculate said second safety margin by multiplying said intended travel distance by a preset percentage. 
     
     
       9. The battery pack charging system of  claim 7 , said user interface configured to accept a set of user defined safety margins, wherein said set of user defined safety margins is comprised of said first and second safety margins. 
     
     
       10. The battery pack charging system of  claim 7 , wherein said first and second safety margins are preset by a vehicle manufacturer and stored in a memory coupled to said system controller. 
     
     
       11. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a communication port coupled to said system controller, wherein said system controller is configured to acquire a travel itinerary from a remote system when said remote system is plugged into said communication port, wherein said system controller is configured to determine said intended travel distance from said travel itinerary, and wherein said remote system is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a computer system, and a network-based computing system. 
     
     
       12. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a communication link coupled to said system controller, wherein said system controller is configured to acquire a travel itinerary from a remote system when said remote system is wirelessly connected to said system controller via said communication link, wherein said system controller is configured to determine said intended travel distance from said travel itinerary, and wherein said remote system is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a computer system, and a network-based computing system. 
     
     
       13. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor coupled to said battery pack and said system controller, wherein said system controller is configured to acquire a set of battery pack characteristics using said at least one sensor and determine said optimal charge level for said battery pack based on said battery lifetime characteristic and said set of battery pack characteristics and said intended travel distance and said data corresponding to said driving style. 
     
     
       14. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a memory coupled to said system controller, wherein a vehicle manufacturer stores a set of battery pack characteristics in said memory, wherein said system controller is configured to acquire said set of battery pack characteristics from said memory and determine said optimal charge level for said battery pack based on said battery lifetime characteristic and said set of battery pack characteristics and said intended travel distance and said data corresponding to said driving style. 
     
     
       15. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one sensor coupled to said battery pack and to said system controller, wherein said system controller monitors a set of battery pack characteristics of said battery pack with said at least one sensor; and 
 a memory coupled to said system controller, wherein said system controller stores said set of battery pack characteristics in said memory, wherein said system controller is configured to determine said optimal charge level for said battery pack based on said battery lifetime characteristic and said set of battery pack characteristics and said intended travel distance and said data corresponding to said driving style. 
 
     
     
       16. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one ambient environment sensor coupled to said system controller, wherein said system controller is configured to monitor an ambient environment with said at least one ambient environment sensor, and wherein said system controller is configured to determine said optimal charge level for said battery pack based on said battery lifetime characteristic and said intended travel distance and said ambient environment and said data corresponding to said driving style. 
     
     
       17. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a memory coupled to said system controller, wherein a minimum state-of-charge (SOC) is stored within said memory, and wherein said optimal charge level determined by said system controller maintains at least said minimum SOC. 
     
     
       18. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor coupled to said battery pack and said system controller, wherein said system controller is configured to acquire a set of battery pack characteristics using said at least one sensor, and wherein said system controller is configured to determine said optimal charging rate based on said battery lifetime characteristic and said set of battery pack characteristics and said intended departure time. 
     
     
       19. The battery pack charging system of  claim 18 , further comprising a memory coupled to said system controller, wherein said system controller stores said set of battery pack characteristics in said memory. 
     
     
       20. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a memory coupled to said system controller, wherein a vehicle manufacturer stores a set of battery pack characteristics in said memory and said system controller acquires said set of battery pack characteristics from said memory, and wherein said system controller is configured to determine said optimal charging rate based on said battery lifetime characteristic and said set of battery pack characteristics and said intended departure time. 
     
     
       21. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , wherein said system controller is configured to issue a confirmation request via said user interface, wherein said system controller is configured to automatically charge said battery pack to said specified charge level using said specified charging rate when a positive response to said confirmation request is received via said user interface, and wherein said system controller does not charge said battery pack to said specified charge level using said specified charging rate when a negative response to said confirmation request is received via said user interface. 
     
     
       22. The battery pack charging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a clock coupled to said system controller, wherein said system controller is configured to monitor a current time with said clock, and wherein said system controller is configured to determine said optimal charging rate based on said battery lifetime characteristic and said intended departure time and said current time.